Portgas D. Noir
“Queen of Cards” Portgas D. Noir, commonly known as “Card Shark” Noir among the Underworld and pirates, is the commanding officer of the Akatokuro and a Rear Admiral of the Marine Corps. She is a former subordinate of Monkey D. Garp. She is the younger sister of Portgas D. Rouge, making her the biological aunt to Portgas D. Ace. Noir is the protagonist of Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea and appears in An Albatross Around Your Neck. The character belongs to Laqualassiel. Appearance Noir has long, wavy blonde hair and brown eyes. Like her sister and nephew, Noir has freckles, though Noir has freckles on her face and shoulders. She is tall, standing several inches over her nephew. She has a multitude of small scars on her hands from years of knife work. There is a inch-wide circular concave scar under her left breast-bone - the exit wound from a near fatal gunshot wound - with a corresponding smaller scar on her back. While on duty, Noir usually sweeps her hair back into a low ponytail. She favors solid colors, usually dark pants and light v-necks, and black knee high boots with low heels. Typically, she rolls the long sleeves of her shirts up to her elbows. Despite her rank, Noir does not wear the Marine officer coat. Noir is always armed with her signature weapon - a deck of cards - and a dagger. Off duty, Noir is much more varied with her wardrobe. While still preferring solid colors, Noir will sometimes wear subdued patterns. Notably, she lets her hair down, wearing a hibiscus clip at her left ear to keep her hair out of her face. Personality Noir is known for her devotion to her duties as a Marine, not having taken a single day of vacation in over ten years. She takes her responsibilities to her subordinates very seriously, and is highly protective of both her current and former crew members. Noir has chased Shanks for years, to the point their rivalry is as legendary as the rivalry between Gol D. Roger and Monkey D. Garp. Noir has a strong sense of justice that clashes with the Marines’ doctrine of Absolute Justice. If pressed to describe it, Noir would call it ‘Equal Justice,’ as she believes the law should be applied to everyone equally, regardless of station. Noir believes in protecting the innocent and defenseless, while hunting those that prey on the former. She despises corruption, to the point she wishes she could throw a number of her own colleagues in prison. She highly values family, and is both greatly protective of family and more than willing to go to great lengths to obtain vengeance for wrongs committed against her family. For his part in Rouge’s death, Noir has held a grudge against Roger for almost twenty years. Her grudge also seems to stem from a sense of betrayal, in that Roger not only failed in his promise to protect Rouge, but contributed to the events that would cause her death. Trust is a precious thing to Noir. She does not trust easily and takes any betrayals very personally. She is not forgive and she never forgets. Once Noir’s trust is lost, it is nearly impossible to regain it in any substantial form. By her own admittance, Noir can be rather selfish. During her rare vacation, Noir did not attempt to arrest Shanks when the pirate joined her for drinks in the same bar. Indeed, while off duty Noir appears unconcerned with her duties as a Marine, a stark contrast to her devotion while on the job, and interacts regularly with pirates and other members of the Underworld. Noir tends to be rather blunt, often preferring to get straight to the point rather than dance around a subject. However, she does not see that as a reason to forgo basic manners and courtesy, and will call people out on their rudeness. Noir has a fiery temper, and is shamelessly vindictive in showing her displeasure. Her most common method of revenge seems to be clearing out her victims’ pockets through cards, but she is not hesitant in resorting to violence. Noir will go to great lengths to get her revenge, even if it takes years for her plans to come together. She spent several months teaching Monkey D. Luffy to use Haki in order to get revenge on Garp. While easily irritated, not many things truly infuriate Noir. Betrayal is one such thing, though it seems to spark a deep seated and much longer lasting anger than other things. Relationships with minors, even implied relationships, instantly piss her off, such as when a fellow bar patron commented on Noir seemingly eyeing up a teenager. Any sort of child endangerment, neglect, or abuse is another trigger, as Noir was incensed to the point of mindless fury when she learned of Garp’s less than acceptable care of Ace, Sabo, and Luffy. Despite her temper, Noir has an iron clad self control. Even when infuriated to the point of violence, Noir limits herself to words until she is certain there will be no collateral damage if she lets loose. Noir does not like losing her control over herself, such as when she did more damage to the forest on Dawn Island than intended in her rage. And while she is more than willing to take out minor irritations on others, when truly enraged Noir takes care not to involve innocent bystanders. Relationships Marines As a Rear Admiral in the Navy, Noir is generally well-respected if not necessarily well-liked. Her long rivalry with Shanks is almost as famous among the Marines as Garp's rivalry with Roger. Just as well known is Garp's teasing of Noir and Shanks' relationship, which the veteran Marines know to take as a joke. While a devoted Marine, Noir has her own sense of justice and despises the prevailing doctrine of Absolute Justice. She loathes Admiral Akainu and a number of Vice Admirals and fellow Rear Admirals for trying to poach members of her crew. Sengoku respects Noir enough to override any transfer orders, which Noir repays him for with quality alcohol. Monkey D. Garp Not much is known about about Garp and Noir’s relationship, but what is known paints a long history. Noir once served under Garp’s direct command as an Ensign. It is unknown how long Noir was Garp’s subordinate, but during that time Garp was somewhat protective of her. Garp regards her fondly and considers her to be one of the best Marines he ever worked with. Even after Noir left Garp’s command the two have maintained a close bond, close enough that Noir puts up with Garp’s jokes about Noir and Shanks, and occasionally sends him expensive alcohol in spite of her irritation at the incessant teasing and a number of Garp’s quirks. Garp often tells stories of Noir to other Marines and civilians. Garp is the one who informed Noir of Rouge’s death. He also lied and told Noir that Ace died shortly after birth. Noir trust in Garp was such that she did not question the information. Discovering Garp’s lie severely impacted her relationship with the Vice Admiral. The lie and insinuation that Garp had to protect Ace from even Noir came as a personal betrayal. Noir no longer trusts Garp with anything personal, or anything not related to their work. Her anger only increases when she discovers the extent - or rather lack - of Garp’s care for Ace and Luffy. In order to get revenge on Garp, Noir trains Luffy in hopes Luffy will irritate Garp. A year later, Noir’s anger at Garp has only subsided and she is much less tolerant of Garp’s jokes than she used to be. Smoker Once Noir's subordinate, Smoker has a close relationship with his former captain. Noir knows his hobby of rock-balancing and takes care not to disrupt the concentration he requires. Noir appreciates Smoker's value of privacy and willingness to keep his nose out of people's business unless necessary. However, she sometimes laments Smoker's intelligence and ability to put clues together. Smoker highly respects Noir. He asked her to give his men lectures on Haki, and considers her an expert on the subject. He is also concerned at Noir's visible exhaustion after her vacation and thinks she should retire, though he respects that it is Noir's choice to make. He also keeps his concern to himself, suggesting that he is somewhat wary of Noir's ire. He does scorn Noir's choice of footwear in combat. Despite this, he recognizes Noir's combat ability, attempting to restrict Noir's use of Haki in an old challenge between them despite his own Logia abilities, worried Noir would win the bet. Crew Very little is known about Noir’s crew. Noir does not stand on formalities, and is close enough with long time crew members that they act more like family than superior and subordinate. Her crew is comfortable enough to tease Noir. Noir trusts them enough to share personal details. Noir is highly protective of her crew, to the point of fury by the attempts by her colleagues and superiors to poach them. Noir prioritizes her crew’s well-being. When several among her crew were not ready for the dangers of the New World, Noir delayed her hunt for Shanks so they could train. Noir trains her crew in Haki even though only Vice Admirals are normally taught the skill. Noir does not mind if her crew members do not like her, so long as they trust each other to guard their backs. Cade Cade serves as Noir's First Mate, and they have known each other for seventeen years. She has tried to get Cade to drop formalities with her, though Cade stubbornly refuses. Noir highly respects Cade's leadership ability, and knows he would make a fine commander if he ever left her command. Cade also serves somewhat like Noir's moral compass. When Noir contemplates an action that is questionable, she consults Cade and both trusts and respects his verdict. Rafi The Second Mate of the Akatokuro, Noir finds Rafi's love of paperwork bemusing despite her respect for how quickly Rafi can complete it. Noir is fond of Rafi and is fairly laid back regarding Rafi's behaviour, not caring so long as it does not come back to affect the crew. Even when Rafi exasperates Noir, Noir does not reprimand her. Noir trusts Rafi enough to share her personal feelings over arresting Shanks. Rafi trusts Noir. She does not worry about expressing disrespect towards an Admiral or teasing her commanding officer. Rafi cares about Noir and tries to cheer her up when the older woman is upset. Rafi's respect for Noir is such that she has only told a single person of Noir's history with Shanks. Rafi is one of the few able to talk Noir into 'living a little,' even if Noir later regrets it. Ten Sile Sile has been a member of Noir's crew for five years, and Noir is highly protective of the ropemaker. She does not care that she is 'wasting' Sile's Devil Fruit by not having him fight on the front lines, and she viciously counters every attempt to transfer him from the Akatokuro. Noir is gentle with Sile, reassuring him and worrying about his health. She is patient with him and takes care not to even hint that she is angry while in his presence, so he does not think she is angry with him. Sile feels safe with Noir, and was anxious when she took an extended leave of absence. Regardless, he trusts her unconditionally, crying with relief when Noir promised him that she would never allow someone to steal him from her command. Orion Orion is amused at Noir's tendency to gamble with her crew, and likes to watch her clean out everyone's pockets. He once held a grudge for losing to Noir, but lost it after realizing the reason behind it. He is one of the few to know how Noir cheats at cards. He doesn't agree with Noir's insistence on capturing Red Hair over killing him, but is sympathetic upon learning of Noir and Shanks' history. Aria Noir has a healthy respect for the Akatokuro's cook, and an even healthier respect for Aria's rolling pin. In fourteen years, Noir has not known anyone capable of escaping Aria when the cook puts her mind to something. Noir is familiar enough with the cook to spot when Aria's temper is close to snapping, and knows to worry more about whoever set her off than the cook herself. Family Portgas D. Rouge Noir and Rouge were very close, noted by both Noir and others to be as close as sisters could be. Rouge raised Noir, and seemingly put up with a number of incidents where Noir got up to mischief. Noir was highly protective of Rouge, joining the Marines in order to protect her sister when Roger couldn't. Noir took Rouge's death very hard and still holds a grudge for Roger's part in Rouge's death. Noir's love for her sister passed on to Rouge's son. Gol D. Roger Little is known about Roger and Noir's relationship. Roger seemed to be a significant presence in Noir's childhood, having not only trained Noir in combat but also helped Rouge raise Noir. Noir was close to Roger, instantly recognizing his face and his habits reflected in the mans son, as well as the same conviction shown by Luffy in following their dreams. Roger's execution was extremely difficult to watch for Noir. However, after Roger's rumored relationship and child endangered Rouge and eventually led to her death, Noir developed a deep seated hatred of Roger. Even decades later, she still holds a grudge against the man for not upholding his promise to protect Rouge. Enemies Portgas D. Ace Ace is Noir’s nephew, who she thought died alongside her sister. Noir mourned Ace for seventeen years before she inadvertently discovers his survival when she runs into him on an unnamed island. At first, she is reluctant to believe it is him, but she later confirms his identity. Despite knowing almost nothing about her nephew, Noir still has a soft spot for him. She paid for his towering food bill within minutes of suspecting his identity, and tracked down his childhood home in order to investigate the source of Ace’s shit self-esteem, fully willing to make those responsible pay dearly for it. Noir is also furious with Garp for lying to her about Ace’s death, as it means she did not get the chance to raise Ace and tell him about his parents. However, Noir is rather wary of becoming attached to her nephew. Upon meeting him for the first time, Noir purposely does not tell Ace of their relation, even referring to Rouge as her best friend instead of her sister. Later, when choosing between her duty to the Marines and her nephew, Noir chooses the Marines. Noir reasons that Ace has no will to live, and with his reckless nature will end up on the execution platform before long. As selfish as it is, Noir does not believe she can handle mourning her nephew a second time. Ace initially asks about Noir, hoping to challenge her to a fight. Even learning of her reputation and seeing first hand some of her skills, Ace’s desire to eventually fight her does not diminish. That Noir does not hate him despite knowing and hating his father confuses him. Her assertion that it is his opinion that matters, not people who don’t know anything, surprises him. Ace is shocked to learn that Noir is a high ranking Marine. He isn’t happy to learn of his relation to Noir, and wonders why Noir did not tell him. It is unknown how that has affected his overall opinion of Noir. Shanks Among the Marines, Shanks and Noir have a rivalry almost as legendary as Monkey D. Garp and Gol D. Roger. Noir has chased Shanks across the world for years, and the two can recognize each other by Haki alone. Even their crews know each other well enough to identify each other on sight. They have a long history together, having known each other since Noir was thirteen and Shanks eleven. As children, Noir and Shanks were close friends, Noir backing the red head whenever Shanks got into a fight. The two have an odd relationship. As Marine and Pirate, Noir is duty bound to hunt and arrest Shanks. However, Shanks continuously flirts with Noir and has made his romantic interest blatantly clear. Noir allows Shanks to get away with it for the most part, only retaliating with serious violence the one time Shanks dared to kiss her, as opposed to her reputation for castrating unwanted suitors in the past. This tolerance seems to be due to their long term friendship and a certain level of exasperated fondness rather than any returned romantic sentiment. Noir refuses to admit that she is fond of Shanks, protesting his gift giving and exacting petty revenge for his flirting. Despite this, Noir has kept at least one of Shanks’ gifts and uses the money she has won off Shanks to buy him quality alcohol. Shanks finds riling Noir up to be fun despite acknowledging it as somewhat dangerous. Getting Noir to blush is one of his hobbies, and he is highly entertained by the reactions of Noir’s crew and fellow Marines. He respects Noir’s boundaries however, and has not done more than flirt with her since the one time he kissed her. Shanks is one of the few people capable of knowing when something is wrong with Noir, even from halfway across the world. After meeting Ace and learning that the boy didn’t know Noir is his aunt, Shanks tracks Noir down to check on her, showing a fair level of concern for her. Noir highly respects Shanks, admitting to herself that Shanks is one of the few pirates who are truly good people. She regrets having to arrest him, knowing that it will result in his death, but she would rather kill him herself than consign Shanks to a slow death in prison, stripped of freedom. Even so, the knowledge that Noir will responsible for her friend’s death weighs heavily on her. As her friend, Noir does care greatly for Shanks. She knows how much Roger’s hat meant to him and was surprised to learn he had passed it on instead of storing it for safekeeping. She is also distinctly unhappy to learn how Shanks lost his arm, even though she knows Shanks would sacrifice it again in a heartbeat for Luffy. She also knows him well enough to know Shanks is likely still feeling guilty over the situation, and she resolves to talk to him and help him deal with it. Sea Dog Pirates Noir is not impressed with the Sea Dogs or their captain. After years working the Grand Line, the East Blue pirate crew doesn’t even ping as a decent threat. Initially, the crew comes off as relatively polite in regards to other pirate crews. However, Noir’s opinion of them tanks with their continued harassment of Makino. She is even less impressed with the pirates when they threaten her with their captain’s name and bounty for intervening on Makino’s behalf. Only the fact that she was not in the mood to deal with them kept her from turning them in for their bounties, and the pirates scattered once she introduced herself as a Rear Admiral. However, Noir did acknowledge that the Sea Dog pirates might return after Noir’s own departure, and made sure to place safeguards just in case, showing that she hasn’t dismissed them entirely as a threat to the locals. Noir has held a grudge however, and set the local Marines on them in revenge. She is irritated to see them still sailing almost a year later at Loguetown. While she remembered their jolly roger and the crew, she did not bother to remember the name of the captain. She does however hold enough of a grudge to call dibs on arresting the captain. Other Curiously, Noir is well known and well respected among the Underworld. The cause of this is unknown, but Noir is able to drink and gamble with pirates without either side instigating violence, with rare exceptions. The Underworld knows Noir as 'Card Shark' Noir, and seem to highly respect her combat abilities, as they warned the rookie pirate Portgas D. Ace of her temper and advised avoiding a fight. Monkey D. Luffy Luffy reminds Noir greatly of Garp. Not just in appearance; Luffy has similar habits of destructive entrances - though much milder than Garp to Noir’s relief - massive appetite, and lack of manners. Luffy is also as exasperatingly stubborn. Despite numerous efforts and resorting to mild violence, Noir is unable to shake Luffy from his conclusion that Noir is his aunt, nor is she able to get Luffy to correctly remember her name. Noir is not above using Luffy’s single minded focus to manipulate him, as when she asked him to get meat for dinner in order to have a private conversation she didn’t want Luffy hearing. Though she refuses to acknowledge any relationship to Luffy, she is furious on his behalf when learning the extent of Garp’s lack of care. In order to give Luffy the ability to protect himself, Noir trains him to use Haki, as well hoping Luffy would later use those skills to drive Garp up the wall. His penchant for recklessness drives Noir completely spare. Learning how Luffy inherited Roger’s hat from Shanks nearly causes Noir to lose what patience she has, and she vows to beat a sense of survival into Luffy’s head. Curly Dadan Initially, the two women are hostile to each other. Dadan is suspicious of the unknown blonde, then shocked when Noir introduces herself. Noir isn’t pleased Garp left her nephew to be raised with mountain bandits, and Dadan is angry that Noir didn’t raise Ace herself. Dadan is also scared of Noir and doesn’t want Noir angry at her, so Dadan blames everything on Garp. Despite this, Noir isn’t angry at Dadan or her family. She is grateful that they raised her nephew, even saving Ace’s life from pirates. The two women eventually bond over Dadan’s scrapbooks, and Dadan gives Noir some of Ace’s baby photos. Makino Noir is impressed with Makino’s professionalism. From reading Noir’s unspoken desire to be left somewhat alone, to maintaining a polite demeanor in the face of unwanted advances. Noir liked the woman enough to intervene when Makino’s harassers shifted from words to physical action, and respected Makino to the point she covered the pirates’ bill after Noir scared them off. Makino has conflicted feelings about Noir. One one hand, she is grateful for Noir’s assistance and promise to take care of any pirates that bother her. However, she is not happy that Noir is hunting Shanks, and that the blonde could very well be the cause of Shanks’ death. She thinks Noir is strange, not only for criticizing the concept of justice, but also for admitting her own flaws. Makino recognizes Noir and Ace’s shared surname, and wonders if Noir is indeed a relative. Noir’s admonishment of Luffy’s lack of manners amuses Makino. Abilities and Powers As a Rear Admiral in the Marines, Noir has a substantial amount of influence. Her influence is such that she is able to appeal to Fleet Admiral Sengoku to intervene on her behalf against Admiral Akainu and the various Vice Admirals attempting to poach her crew, and trust that Sengoku will continue to intervene on her behalf even when she is on vacation and her First Mate is in command in her stead. Her rank also affords Noir considerable influence among civilians, even those unaware of her reputation. Noir can use her rank to intimidate pirates, and mentioning her rivalry with Red Hair Shanks usually does what her rank alone will not. Physical Abilities Despite being much taller than normal for a human woman, Noir is both fast and stealthy. She was stealthy enough to sneak up on Ace on an empty street. She was able disappear without a trace when he was slightly distracted by his thoughts, even though he was still looking at her and was standing relatively close. Noir seems to have a high level of stamina, as she felled a large number of trees with Haki enforced hands, and wasn't even breathing hard when she stopped. Several people have noted that Noir has a high tolerance for alcohol. After drinking an entire bottle of vodka, Noir did not seem to be affected at all, and Noir has stated that she is capable of keeping up with Red Hair Shanks, who is also known for being able to drink copious amounts of alcohol without problem. Weapons Noir's main weapon seems to be a deck - or multiple - of playing cards that she throws at her targets. She uses a rather distinct style of cards, and can enforce them with Haki to make them more lethal. Noir is capable of cutting through metal with her cards. Noir also carries a dagger at her waist, though she has not yet been seen using it, so her skill with it is unknown. Haki So far, Noir has shown the ability to use Observation and Armament Haki. It is unknown when or how she unlocked the ability, or who trained her. It is also unknown if she is capable of using Conqueror's. Observation Haki Noir uses Observation Haki often, and her skill with it is said to be unparalleled. Her Haki is precise enough that she can sense if others use Haki. Not only goes this give Noir a sense of someone's abilities, she can use her Haki to gauge how skilled a person is, such as when she looked at the auras of the Sea Dog pirates only to find them lacking compared to pirates on the Grand Line. She also sensed Luffy's aura as he approached Makino's bar, finding his aura unexpectedly strong for an East Blue civilian. Noir commonly uses her Observation Haki to sense people's emotions. Not only does it enable her to sense when things aren't as they seem, like when Makino was anxious about the presence of the Sea Dog pirates underneath her polite smile, she can also use her Haki to sense when people are lying. This is how Noir knew Garp was sincere in his apology for lying to her about Ace's death. Unknown to most people, Noir also uses her Haki to sense the emotions of those she plays cards with, though she only ever does so if someone else starts cheating first. With enough familiarity, Noir can identify people by their Haki alone. Her range is unknown, but Noir can sense those she is familiar with at greater ranges, as she was able to sense Shanks and his crew nearing the docks while she was in a bar gambling. Noir is also capable of sensing if someone has a Devil Fruit. When she first sensed Luffy's aura, she was able to discern that he had eaten a Devil Fruit. She was also able to sense Smoker's aura, which she described as feeling similar to smoke. Armament Haki Noir doesn't use Armament Haki very often. So far, the only known applications Noir has used have been to enhance her physical strength and to coat a playing card in order to cut through a sword. History Childhood Noir was raised by her sister Rouge. The Roger Pirates were a significant presence during Noir's childhood. Roger himself trained her, and Noir knew Shanks when she was thirteen and he was eleven. Roger often ate at Rouge's home, bringing enough food so he didn't empty Rouge's cupboards. Noir was a stubborn child, and once uprooted her sister's garden looking for Roger's treasure. She had a hibiscus patterned baby blanket that was later given to Ace. As a teenager, Noir developed the habit of eavesdropping on patrons in bars. More than once Noir backed up Shanks when Shanks pissed off the wrong person and started a bar fight. After Buggy ate the Bara Bara no Mi, Noir came across Buggy and Shanks while the two were sparring and saw Shanks decapitate Buggy. After Buggy's headless body continued to move and his head shouted at Shanks, Noir screamed and kicked Buggy's head before fainting in shock. When Noir was around 17, she enlisted in the Marines. Early Marine Years Noir's early career was spent on Garp's crew. According to Garp, Noir was one of the best Marines he ever worked with. By Roger's execution, Noir was 19 and a Warrant Officer. Noir kept her habit of eavesdropping on bar patrons, but picked up the hobby of playing cards. About five years into her career, Noir's skills at cards became great enough that she was often accused of cheating. Noir was still under Garp's command as an Ensign. Rouge's Death Garp personally informed Noir of Rouge's death, but lied and told Noir that Ace had died with her. Rouge's death sparked a life long grudge against Roger, as Roger had failed to protect her. Clashing with Shanks Shortly after Rouge's death, Noir met Cade who would later become her First Mate. Also around this time, Garp began calling Shanks variants of 'Noir's pirate.' After saying it in front of Sengoku, Noir had to reassure the Fleet Admiral that she had no romantic inclinations towards Shanks no matter what Garp claimed. In the Underworld, Noir gained a reputation for being nearly impossible to beat at cards, gaining the epithet 'Card Shark' Noir. In early 1511, Shanks kissed Noir to state his interest in her romantically. Noir retaliated by trying to decapitate him. In the aftermath, Noir considered transferring to South Blue to get away from Garp's jokes. In 1513, Noir's crew and Shanks' crew agreed to a temporary truce and spent Christmas together, starting the tradition of annual snowball fights every year on the holiday. Rafi, Noir's eventual Second Mate, was transferred to Noir's command earlier that year. At one point, Noir and the women of her crew when bar hopping on an island. At one of the bars, the cook, Aria, slammed the head of an unwanted admirer into the bar, starting a bar fight between the man's friends and Noir's subordinates. After Shanks returned to the Grand Line missing an arm, Noir asked about the cause but never got an answer. For Noir's promotion to Rear Admiral, Shanks gifted her with a red hibiscus hair clip. Not long after, Noir met Ten Sile and recruited the eleven-year-old. The young Devil Fruit user soon learned to control his Devil Fruit and became her crew's ropemaker. Two years later, the rest of the Marines learned of Sile's Devil Fruit and began attempting to poach him from Noir's command in order to obtain the versatile Devil Fruit. Meeting Ace and Taking a Vacation Nineteen years after Roger's death, Noir ran into Ace while hunting Shanks. After confirming his identity and imparting some advice, Noir left a card with Ace - an ace of spades - as a recognition of him and his crew. Noir returned to Marineford and confronted Garp over his lie. Not long after that, Noir took a year long vacation to work through her anger at Garp and track down the location of Ace's childhood home. Shortly into her vacation, she ran into Shanks, who informed her of his meeting with Ace. Concerned about his friend, Shanks asked Noir what was going on, and Noir informed him that she'd only met her nephew earlier that year. Noir arrived in Fuusha Village after taking a series of civilian ships. There, she met Makino, the bartender of Partys Bar, and the Sea Dog pirates and their captain Ward Samuel. Noir threatened the pirates after they harassed Makino, and scared them off. Shortly after, Luffy arrived and Noir recognized both Garp's grandson and Roger's hat. Luffy introduced Noir to Dadan and the rest of the mountain bandits, introducing Noir as 'Auntie Nola.' Noir corrected Luffy and introduced herself. After Noir told Luffy and Dadan what little she knew of Ace's exploits, Dadan told Noir of Ace's childhood. Noir and Dadan bond, and Dadan gives Noir photos of Ace. Training Luffy Noir was pissed at Garp for leaving Ace to be raised with mountain bandits, not correcting Ace's belief that he shouldn't have been born, and not giving Ace or Luffy any proper training and throwing them at the local wildlife. In revenge, she trains Luffy to use Haki and hopes Luffy will irritate Garp with the skill. While training Luffy, Noir learned the story of Shanks losing his arm and later gifting Luffy Roger's hat. After, Noir made a point of beating a sense of survival into Luffy's head. Returning to the Marines At the end of Noir's vacation, she returned to her Marine duties. On the anniversary of Roger's execution, she arrived at Loguetown and visited the plaza where Roger died. She met up with Smoker at the Marine base and agreed to accompany a Marine ship in exchange for transport back to the Grand Line. There, she learned about the rumors of her being pregnant and Ace's new bounty as a member of Whitebeard's crew. It was also when Noir first chose the Marines over her nephew. While waiting for the transport to leave, Noir gave Smoker's men lectures on Haki. The day before Noir left Loguetown, the Sea Dog pirates arrived, and Smoker and Noir competed to arrest the most pirates. Noir returned to her ship, the Akatokuro, and Cade briefed her about the events she missed during her vacation. This included the numerous attempts to poach Sile. Noir went to reassure her ropemaker, and promised Sile that she would not allow anyone to take Sile away from her command against his will. Rafi informed Noir of Akainu's attempt to poach Sile by showing up in person with the transfer orders. Noir and Rafi also discussed how arresting Shanks would end in Shanks' death. Later, Noir played cards with the newest transfers to Noir's crew. References Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea, Chapter 8